South Lake

South Lake School

The first school at South Lake was built west of South Lake Christian Church. The second one was built on the corner across from the church in 1934, where the South Lake fire department is located now. The school later to moved to Bothwell and turned into a home. It was built by members of the community. The school housed Grades 1 - 10 and the district covered a distance of about three miles.

Teachers received their monthly salary from the government but also received a supplement from the community twice a year. taught included Arithmetic, Grammar, Reading, Spelling, Health, History, Geography, Writing, Nature Study and later French, Geometry and Latin.

School started mid-August and students had a two week break in October to help with the potato harvesting. The school day went from 9:30 - 3:30. All pupils walked to school. Some went home for lunch, but many carried their lunch. The school was heated by a wood stove. Families had to supply half cord of wood to the school as a credit to their taxes. Outdoor toilets were used, one for girls and another one for boys. Water was taken from the neighbors in buckets for drinking.

Students had daily chores, which included sweeping the floor, taking in the wood and getting the water. South Lake School has a Junior Red Cross organization and held Red Cross meetings on Friday afternoons. Report Cards on the student’s progress were given out each month. The superintendent, Mr. Harold Hynes, visited twice a year.

The South Lake Women’s Institute provided supplies for the school such as chalk, cleaning supplies, water buckets or fountains, maps and other teacher aids. They also cleaned and scrubbed the school. Some teachers that taught at South Lake included: E. James MacDonald, Donald J. MacDonald, Adele (MacDonald) Cheverie, Eileen MacDonald, Margaret (Rose) MacAulay, Mr. Des Roches, Barbara Baker, and Frances (Cheverie) Rose.

After consolidation South Lake School was sold, moved to Bothwell and is presently used as a summer home.